D. Maass

So here’s my metaphor: If Battlestar Galactica Razor, “the version you couldn’t see on TV,” is that big red box with the gold ribbon, floppy like Pluto’s ears tucked under, beneath your tree, then the DVD’s special features are the throwaway stocking stuffers.

There aren’t a lot of whole lot special features on the DVD: a few deleted scenes, some short documentaries that are, like the show, perfectly balanced and far too short. However, they only confirm what you already knew: They know exactly how frackin’ rad their show is.

But come Christmas morning, after you ripped off the wrapping paper like Robert Carlyle’s Full Monty pants, here’s the order in which you should watch them:

My Favorite Episode So Far: This little documentary featurette is pretty much the same conversation I’ve had with all my BSG pals, but with people who actually know the titles they’re talking about. None of this, “That one episode… with, you know, the sentient Cylon ship with the crack in its face? That was awwwwesome!” Most of the cast loved the episode “33,” the first episode of Season 1, set five days into the invasion, when Galactica was forced to jump every half hour.

Deleted Scenes: There are generally two reactions I’ve had to BSG deleted scenes on previous DVD collections: a.) “Yeah, that was useless. I don’t know why they’re even showing it to me.” b.) “Whoever decided to cut that should be shoved out an airlock. Let them be reincarnated on some other sci-fi show.” In this case, I had really no clue how the scene fit in Razor or, indeed, the rest of the series. I feel ripped off, like there’s actually more to the deleted scene. Maybe on the next DVD collection they’ll release “Deleted Scenes from the Deleted Scenes.”

Featurette: I have to say, yes, the Adama flashbacks altogether, the “Razorettes,” were a helluva lot better than I initially thought. Mostly, it was just nice watching them contiguously, without having to reload SciFi.com between each segment.

The Look of Battlestar Galactica: Here’s where it gets really smug. Yes, the set it brilliant. Really, did it take four studios, wall-to-wall? You don’t say.
You researched WWII battleships? I agree with your producer: you guys got away with murder. And god bless you for it… But, listen guys, I’m really trying not to worship BSG, and this featurette isn’t helping. (One thing I would like to point out that I learned from this doc: Razor suffered from sexist cinematography. As the obvious old-school cinematography shows; since Razor revolved around women, they went with softer light than the rest of the series.)

Upcoming Season Sneak Peek: I trust creator Ron Moore when he says that the fourth season will bring everything together, and I half-trust Edward James Olmos when he says that his favorite episode will be his last (though I wonder how come he knows that, and Sackhoff doesn’t). During the sneak peek, the cast says they can’t even speculate what might happen while they flash images at you, many of which already appear in the trailer. I can’t say that I was impressed by Starbuck squirming on the floor screaming, “You’re going the wrong way!”